I had a delicious Lychee Smash at a Vietnamese restaurant with my girlfriend Tracy, and it inspired me to recreate the drink at home. These flavor profiles are perfect with each other; fizzy ginger and bright, fresh mint, tart lime juice and sweet lychee fruit. This drink can easily become a cocktail with 2 oz ounce of rum, making it a twist on a Mojito or Caipirinha. Let's get drinkin :)
The smell of hot chocolate is so comforting to me. It reminds me of my childhood. When it comes to breakfast, my family has always been about waffles. What is it about wanting what you don't have, even when it comes to something as simple as breakfast? :) As a kid I always craved French Toast. I imagined the crisp edges and custardy center...while munching on waffles. Now as an adult, I eat French Toast when ever possible ;) Check out my recipes for King's Hawaiian French Toast and Pumpkin Spice French Toast as evidence! For Christmas breakfast, I thought, why not combine these two fantastic flavors? Soaking eggy brioche in a custard mixture spiked with hot chocolate mix is as decadent as you can get. Hot Chocolate French Toast is perfect for the holidays. Let's get cookin :)
An oldie but goodie; simple Maple Glazed Carrots are a delicious side dish perfect for any holiday meal. The natural sweetness of the carrots are enhanced, and fresh parsley, a sprinkling of sea salt and black pepper balances it all out. These are the simplest veggies to make! Seriously they took about 15 minutes from start to finish...and I gobbled them all up right after shooting :) The crisp-tender carrots aren't too sweet and are a wonderful accompaniment to savory entrees. Plus, carrots are super cheap! You can also use colorful heirloom carrots to add more beautiful color to your table. Let's get cookin! :)
I really wanted to come up with a fun appetizer that involved deliciously tangy cranberries. This dip is unexpectedly tasty. A blend of fresh cranberries, lemon juice, sugar, jalapeño, green onions, cumin, and cilantro is served over softened cream cheese...yes a block of cream cheese! Honestly, what's better than a good dip? All you've gotta do is throw all the ingredients together, let it macerate a bit in the fridge, and pulse it in a blender. The result is a vibrant cranberry relish that is perfectly sweet, tangy, earthy, and with a slight spicy kick. This dip is festive, flavorful, easy on the wallet, and perfect for potlucks. Let's get cookin!
If you're just getting started juicing at home, it may seem daunting. Just keep in mind that it’s all about experimenting. My favorite juice is as easy to make as A-B-C: apple, beet, carrot. I like adding different fruits and veggies to this base juice, depending on what I’ve got at home. Apples, beets, and carrots are great to buy in bulk and have on hand. As usual, organic fruits and veggies are best if it’s in your budget.
Happy Holidays!! I’m so excited for Thanksgiving - it’s one of my favorite holidays. Today’s recipe is great for potlucks or hosting your own holiday event. Spinach artichoke dip is one of those classics that are just so comforting and indulgent. Best served when piping hot and topped with tons of cheese…I’ve only really had store-bought or dip from a restaurant. I figured it might be nice to whip up a homemade recipe to cut down on unnecessary preservatives/ingredients. Crisp, delicate phyllo dough is spinach and artichoke dip’s bff. Phyllo seems difficult to work with, but actually turned out to be really therapeutic. You can also use pre-made phyllo cups, available in the frozen aisle. I’ll show you how easy it is to make mini phyllo cups filled with this delicious dip! This recipe is as simple as mixing all the ingredients, spooning the dip into phyllo cups, and throwing them in the oven to get warm and golden! Let’s get baking :)
Fruit crisps are heaven–rustic desserts that are the perfect way to show off seasonal fruits. The best part about fruit crisps is that they are simple to make, only needing fruit and few other ingredients. I thought about how to put a little twist on the classic Apple Crisp. What else makes classic dishes more fun than making them self-contained, individual servings? Top em off with a scoop of good vanilla ice cream, and enjoy the tender, cinnamon-bathed apples and crumbly crisp topping. So today I'm going to show you the fast and simple way to a delicious dessert that will impress all your holiday guests. Let's get baking :)
There are a ton of nights where you simply don't want to leave the house for groceries. It's nice to have some staples on hand for lazy evenings. Frozen shrimp are so versatile and easy to cook with! Shrimp and grits sounds intimidating but is incredibly easy to throw together. You'll be surprised by how little effort it takes to gain so much flavor. You can, of course, use fresh shrimp. The only difference between the two is giving the frozen ones a little rinse in cold water to defrost them. When you're shopping for shrimp (I prefer tail-on, there's so much flavor in the shells!) it is sold by size and the sizes are expressed in counts per pound. For example, jumbo shrimp is expressed as 21/25, meaning that there would be an average of 23 shrimp per pound. Grits is a type of maize, or corn porridge. These two are a traditional pairing that is often eaten during breakfast :) We're adding a little cream and cheese to the grits to make them extra tasty. The creamy grits are a perfect canvas for the saucy shrimp, kielbasa, tomatoes, onions, and peppers! Let's get cookin :)
Ooey, gooey cheesy pasta is one of my favorite things in the world. I try to feature healthier recipes on Broke and Cooking, but let's all face it...carbs is life. We've all gotta have some yummy pasta every now and then. With the weather getting colder, this is the perfect dish for getting cozy on the couch and binge-watching Netflix. It's super easy to make, and really easy on the budget. Caprese is a simple Italian salad made of fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil; often dressed with salt and olive oil. This pasta tosses all that goodness together and gets a nice golden crust in the oven. Creamy Caprese Pasta is full of robust tomato flavor and can feed a herd of people for very little cost. Let's get cookin!
Happy Halloween everyone!! Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. I love dressing up and DIYing, and I love seeing other peoples' creativity! It seems as if more and more people are choosing to make their own costumes every year, and I love it. I've got a few fun Halloween costume tutorials up on the blog: Medusa & Russell from UP!
I love Totoro! My Neighbor Totoro is a Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Totoro is a friendly forest spirit. There are actually 3 Totoros in the movie, but I love O Totoro, the largest one. He is one of my favorite characters and I thought he'd make the perfect Halloween costume since he is so recognizable and cute. Halloween taps into my past a bit - I actually have a degree in Fashion Design! So this project was super fun for me...drafting patterns can actually be fun when the outcome is such a cute outfit. Use this tutorial to get inspired - you can use the same techniques on another piece of clothing such as a grey pullover hoodie or onesie :) Let's get crafting!
